Olives South Australia’s 2008 annual general meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 November 2008, at the Waite Institute Auditorium, Plant Research Centre, Urrbrae. The program commences at 5.30pm with supper and registration, followed at 6.30pm with a special Olive Marketing Forum addressing current marketing issues. The AGM business program commences at 8.15pm, and will conclude by 9.30pm.
Lisa Rowntree, Olives SA President says the Olive Marketing Forum will explore current marketing issues for olive oil and table olives identified by olive growers and processors during the recent industry consultation on the proposed Olive Industry Fund.
The Olive Industry Fund proposal currently with the SA Government, is that all SA olive growers be asked to contribute from the 2009 season up to $6 per tonne of olives sold or processed for oil or table olives, to be collected by PIRSA via olive processors to fund projects that will be of benefit to the South Australian olive industry. An update on the fund proposal will be provided to the AGM.
“Many growers who are currently unable to access markets for small amounts of olive oil said they wanted an effective mechanism for selling oil. The outcomes of the forum will help guide the OSA Board in developing workable solutions to this and other marketing problems.”
The Forum discussion including questions from the floor will be facilitated by olive industry fund independent consultant Peter McFarlane, and the panel of speakers will include:
Paul Miller, AOA President, “The Australian EVOO Quality Seal and Code of Practice”;
Lisa Rowntree, OSA President, “Australian olive industry marketing initiatives”;
Brian Swanson, Brian’s Olive Shop, “Table olive marketing issues”;
Michael Allester-Briggs, Buckland Park Estate, “Experiences with olive oil export”;
Steve Harding, Encounter Olives Australia, “An update on EOA activities”;
John Fennell, PIRSA, “The Spanish Olive Oil Cooperative experience”.
Lisa Rowntree says the Olive Marketing Forum and AGM program will be of relevance to all olive industry participants, and not just OSA members.
RSVP by 21 November to Gail Sutherland at MTA (08) 8291 2000
